howto rich result
Also called: how-to snippet, howto snippet
A HowTo rich result was a Google Search feature that displayed step-by-step instructions (built from HowTo structured data) directly under a listing. Google deprecated it: since September 2023 HowTo rich results no longer appear, and Google now ignores HowTo markup.
HowTo structured data (schema.org/HowTo) let publishers mark up an ordered set of steps, and Google would render them as an expandable step list or image carousel beneath the search listing. It was common on tutorials, repair guides, and process pages.
Why it went away
In August 2023 Google restricted HowTo rich results to desktop, then on September 13, 2023 removed them from desktop as well, deprecating the feature entirely as part of an effort to simplify search results. Within about 30 days Google also dropped the HowTo search-appearance filter, the Search Console rich-result report, and support in the Rich Results Test. The Search Console API stopped returning HowTo data after roughly 180 days.
In 2026 the markup is inert. You can leave HowTo JSON-LD on a page (Google says unused structured data causes no problems), but it produces no rich result, and HowTo no longer appears in Google’s structured data gallery.
{ "@type": "HowTo", "name": "Reset a router", "step": [ ... ] }Step-by-step content still earns visibility, just through other channels: featured snippets, AI Overviews, and answer engines that lift clearly structured procedures. Don’t confuse the dead HowTo type with the still-supported Recipe type, which keeps its step markup, or with plain Article.
How it affects your traffic
Chasing a HowTo rich result in 2026 burns developer time on markup Google ignores, and it inflates schema audits with a dead type. The clicks that step-list once captured now have to be won through featured snippets, AI Overviews, and answer-engine citations, which reward clean on-page step structure rather than deprecated schema. An SEO consulting engagement prunes dead types like HowTo and FAQ from your templates and redirects that effort toward formats and content patterns that still earn placement and AI mentions.
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